


Gabriel's Story

by StFrancisdeSales



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Mild Language, precanon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-22
Updated: 2015-03-22
Packaged: 2018-03-19 00:43:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3589866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StFrancisdeSales/pseuds/StFrancisdeSales
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are a lot of things Castiel can't remember. Perhaps his childhood is one of them? A loving brother wants him to remember, and to try and understand why he left heaven, just when everyone, especially the tiny angel he raised, needed him the most.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gabriel's Story

_Castiel, the broken one. I knew you were different from the first few hundred “years”. I saw in you that same screwed up spirit I fought Michael and Lucifer to keep in myself. They didn't like that much. Michael knew I was a shit-stirrer from the start and Lucifer didn't want anyone else stealing his thunder. Whatever. I'm done with the whole pack of 'em now._

_Most of them, the other archs, they knew the natural order, the way Dad had declared things would be. You either fell in line and damn well did your preordained job or... Well, you know Luci's story. I managed to stay out of trouble by staying in trouble. “Oh that's just Gabriel” I guess was the attitude. That's another story._

_Maybe you've forgotten ours, though. Yours and mine, yah little feathery reject. I know they messed around in that weird old head of yours and screwed you up better than any number of centuries with me could have done, whatever Michael says._

_Our story began so long ago... Back when you were just another soldier (in training) and I was the black sheep of an extremely white-fleeced family._

_I knew what would happen, of course. We all did. Even though I hated it, right down to my second pair of wings, I knew I couldn't stop it. It was all normal. The carnage, the plan, the fighting, the blatant bigotry. To us. All of us._

_But I didn't want that for you. I wanted you to grow up in a gentle cocoon of golden clouds, so one day, when you looked into the stupidly green eyes of the one human who would turn the trick for you, you'd be rightly and properly outraged at what he was being asked to do._

_Then you'd see why I left. You'd finally understand..._

 

“What's that book, Gabriel?”

The round, blue eyes of a young angel stared up into the golden eyes of a mature and fully realized archangel. Gabriel turned his handsome head to look in the direction of his tiny brother's pointing finger.

“Oh that?” He asked, bouncing the angel on his lap, smiling his permanently mischievous grin. He reached up, with the hand that was not busy supporting Castiel's back, and retreived the medium sized, unassuming leather-bound book.

“Nothing much,” he admitted, cracking it open nonetheless on the table that materialized in front of them. “It's a record of all the vessels available to everyone across the timelines on earth.”

The small, dark-haired head nodded slowly, eyes wide. He clearly had not understood a single word his elder brother had said. Gabriel chuckled and looked up, toward the ceiling of the library he and Castiel spent so much time in.

“Ok, it's like this," he said slowly, trying to find the right words. "If you or me were to flutter down and go see the humans, they're so small that they'd be scared so bad they might die.”

Frowning slightly, head tilted carefully to one side, the young angel nodded. This time, he understood.

“Or see us for the freaks we are...”

“What was that, Gabriel?”

A deep, impressive and imperious voice sounded directly behind the large, comfortable chair in which the two brothers were secluded.

“Nothing, Michael,” the younger archangel replied, without so much as turning his head to see who had spoken.

“Freaks?” Castiel stared up at Gabriel, then shifted his innocent, questioning gaze to Michael, who paid him no attention.

“Remember who you are and who we are, Gabriel,” Micheal continued. “Your position is not nearly as vital as a guardian of the Garden and you may recall how that angel will spend the remainder of eternity.”

“Yeah, yeah, I remember. Sorry, Micheal. I'll behave.”

Castiel giggled at the wink his golden-winged brother threw him as Michael sauntered off, in a thoroughly dignified manner.

“Pompous old dingbat.”

“Dingbat!”

“Shhh!”

“Shhhh...!”

The baby angel giggled again and pressed a small, pudgy finger to his lips in imitation of Gabriel. The archangel laughed and pushed both hands around the small body, tossing Castiel into the air with delight.

“Flap! Just like I showed you! Flap, little brother!”

Obediently, the small, fluffy pair of wings shivered, fluttered and flapped ungainly. Castiel dropped back into Gabriel's lap like a rock, glued all over with black down.

“Whatever,” the archangel said, smiling down at the small, downcast face. “You'll get there eventually. Then you'll scare all those little humans to death with those big, beautiful wings! Right?”

“Right!”

In his excitement, Castiel jumped to his feet, standing on the archangel's knees, and leaped off.

“Crap-!”

At the last second, Gabriel managed to swoop down and catch the tiny body, before it hit the ground.

“Don't do that! I won't always be around to catch you when you fall. Ok?”

The laughter in the brilliant, blue eyes died swiftly at the stern words. Tears shimmered to life and the tiny, plump lip quivered.

“You... Won't?”

“No! I....” The fearful words died on Gabriel's silver tongue. “Oh fine,” he amended, shaking his head. “I'll always be there to catch you.”

Suddenly, his vision was blotted out by a pair of shivering, black wings as Castiel threw two tiny arms around his neck.

“Thank you,” came the quiet voice, so different from the deep, rasping croak it would become.

“Shut up,” came the reply.


End file.
